


All the Little Lights

by SunPraiser31



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Chloe Being A Science Nerd, Confessions, Existentialism, F/F, Fluff, No Storm in Arcadia Bay, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 07:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20485367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunPraiser31/pseuds/SunPraiser31
Summary: Chloe takes Max to the beach for some stargazing. But beautiful as the stars are, it can be hard to stay focused when you've got something even more beautiful laying next to you.





	All the Little Lights

If Chloe had to admit one good thing about the shithole that was Arcadia Bay, its nighttime sky would be a strong contender.

Being a small town on the coast, the light pollution was practically negligible. On cloudless nights like this one, the sun’s dimming light would peel back to reveal a vault of stars so numerous as to be beyond counting. The science nerd of her younger years had spent many a sleepless night simply laying in the grass of her backyard, gazing into the cosmic abyss and trying to comprehend it all.

Nostalgia for those days hit her in waves as she lay in the back of her truck, hands folded under her head as she stared at the stars. A motel’s worth of blankets and pillows cushioned the truck bed until it was almost more comfortable than her actual bed. They’d parked on Arcadia’s deserted stretch of beach a few yards away from the tide. This really was an ideal spot and an ideal night for stargazing. No clouds, no moon, no trees to obscure the view. A comfortable chill in the air, with only the gentle lapping of waves to disturb her thoughts.

Some punk she was, marveling at optimal observation conditions. She still was a science nerd, after everything. That part of her was just buried under a lot more bullshit these days. She hadn’t gone out stargazing since… well, since before her dad died, if she was being honest. Hard to find much excitement in simple things like that anymore.

Amazing how the addition of one person was enough to completely restore that feeling.

“There’s so many,” Max whispered in awe next to Chloe. “And they all have names?”

Chloe smiled. “Some of them. The important ones mostly. All the other ones tend to have names like ‘ABC123’ or ‘DP69.’”

She could practically hear how hard Max rolled her eyes. “Is that the star system you come from, DP69?”

“Yep, home sweet home. I’d love to take you there sometime if you’re feeling adventurous.”

Max punched her in the shoulder. Chloe just laughed. It was so easy to get Max flustered with even the most vaguely suggestive of comments. Flustered Max was very cute, even if she had a tendency to hit Chloe a lot. Worth it, even if Chloe couldn’t see the blush.

“So, outside of that and the neighboring system of 420BlazeIt, do you know any specific stars? Could you point them out?”

Chloe smirked. Snarky Max was also very cute. 

“A couple of them. See that bright one right there?” She pointed to the brightest point in a large swath of twinkling points. “The really bright one there. That one’s Sirius. Brightest star visible from Earth.”

Max hummed in thought. “I mean, it’s brighter than the rest, but it’s definitely not the brightest star from Earth.”

Chloe’s brow furrowed. “What do you—”

“That’s the sun, dummy.”

Chloe groaned, pulling a hand out from under her head so she could facepalm. “Remind me why I put up with you, Caulfield?”

Max giggled. “You know you love me.”

Chloe’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t have a retort for that, even a suggestive one, that wouldn’t give away far too much. 

“Anyway,” she continued, hoping Max hadn’t noticed the lapse, “up and to the right of Sirius is the constellation of Orion. See those three stars right in a row? That’s his belt.”

“Where? There?” Max pointed up at the sky.

“Not quite, a bit more to the left. Right about…” Chloe was about to point her own finger, but the opportunity was too good to pass up. She took hold of Max’s wrist and gently tugged it in the right direction. “There. See it?”

“I think so,” Max said quietly. “Are any of those stars named?”

“Yeah. The one in the top left, that reddish one there…” Chloe steered Max’s hand again. “That’s Betelgeuse. And the bluish one in the bottom right… That’s Rigel.”

Chloe directed Max to point at several more notable stars and constellations. She fumbled on a few of the names, distracted as she was by the contact between them. Max was so warm, so soft. Chloe’s grip just needed to slip a couple inches upward and she’d be holding Max’s hand. Such a simple thing should not have made her as nervous as it did.

She’d almost gotten the courage to make the move when Max pulled out of her grip. Her disappointment was short-lived, as Max took Chloe’s wrist and moved her hand instead. “What about that one? It looks brighter than Sirius does.”

“Oh! That’s actually not a star. That’s the planet Venus.”

“Really? How can you tell?”

“Well, it’s brighter than Sirius. And if you watch it closely, it doesn’t really twinkle like the other stars do.”

“Ohhh,” Max cooed. It was so adorable how interested she seemed in all of this. She was probably the only person Chloe could express her nerdy side to. She actually listened, and she thought better of Chloe for it instead of judging. 

_ I’d forgotten how good it can feel to know about this stuff… To share something that isn’t just about drugs or punk music. _

Still keeping Chloe’s hand pointed at Venus, Max seemed a bit apprehensive about her next words. “Venus is named after a goddess, right?”

“Yep. All the planets are named after Roman gods, except Earth. Venus was the goddess of love and beauty.”

“Beauty, huh? Well…” Max hesitated. “Maybe they should’ve named it Chloe instead.”

Now it was Chloe’s turn to be flustered. Her heart stuttered and her face grew hot. Did Max really mean to say she was beautiful? Was she just being flirtatious for the sake of flustering Chloe back? She’d sounded serious enough when she said it… 

Max was waiting on a reply. Think Chloe, think! “Uh, yeah, that’d be fitting seeing as the planet’s a barren volcanic wasteland with acid rain and poison air, right?”

Max sighed heavily and squeeze Chloe’s wrist. “No, that’s not fitting at all. I… I know you don’t think it, but you’re a good person, Chloe. And… you  _ are  _ beautiful.”

Max finally lowered her arm, pulling Chloe’s down with it. When they touched the bed of blankets, Max’s hand slid up into Chloe’s and interlaced their fingers.

Oh.  _ Oh.  _ Shit.

Damn it all, how the hell had  _ Max  _ gotten up the courage to do that before Chloe? She needed to step her game up, assuming she could manage to calm down.

“Th-Thanks, Max,” Chloe chuckled nervously. “You, uh, you’re pretty hot yourself.”

Max joined in the awkward laughter. “Um, thanks.”

Silence came over them again. Along with it was tension thick enough that you could feel it in the air. It had lingered in the background since Max’s return to Chloe’s life. It had surged forward in certain moments, like when Chloe had dared Max to kiss her, but had never been quite this prominent.

However nervous it made her, Max’s hand in hers just felt… right.

As time passed, Chloe managed to relax again. She gave Max’s hand a squeeze, and Max squeezed right back. She couldn’t stop the stupid grin that crossed her face. This was one of the things she loved about being with Max. Everything was so easy with her, even moving past the most awkward of moments.

Chloe’s thoughts wandered back to the veil of stars above. Hundreds, thousands of them twinkled up there, many so far away as to be incomprehensible to the human imagination. Trying to take in the vastness of it all was a good way to get existential vertigo. Not that she hadn’t already gotten her fair share of that recently, what with having a time traveler for a best friend.

“Makes you feel small, doesn’t it?” Max whispered, voicing Chloe’s thoughts. “Thinking about everything that’s out there?”

“Yeah, it does. Makes you feel like… maybe all your problems and worries don’t matter as much as you think.”

“Does that scare you?”

Chloe thought about it. “No… Not really. It’s kind of freeing in a way.”

“How so?”

“Well… It means you don’t have to be breaking your back every single day trying to live up to some purpose the universe has for you, you know? The universe doesn’t care, you’re just a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things. I can see how that might be scary for some people, but for me it’s a relief. Means I can make my own meaning out of my life, and no cosmic force is going to smite me for disappointing it.”

Max chuckled. “Spoken like a true rebel.”

“You know it. Fuck you, universe!” Chloe flipped off the stars with her free hand.

Max laughed, then hummed contemplatively. “I guess… it’s kind of comforting for me too.”

“Oh? I figured you’d be sad you can’t photograph all of it.”

“Well, there is that. But, in a way, I suppose that’s exactly why I find it comforting? Like… Humanity’s really done a number on our planet. So much of our nature has been lost, but…” Max gestured with her free hand to indicate the star-studded sky. “Somewhere out there is a newborn planet experiencing its first sunrise. There’s so much beauty out there that nothing can touch. Even if I’ll never get the chance to photograph it, it’s comforting to think that there will always be natural beauty in some form or another, you know?”

Chloe pondered that, then cracked a wide smile. “Spoken like a true artsy hipster.”

“That’s me,” Max said with a contented sigh. “I do wish I could get a good photo of this though. I don’t think my camera is quite suited for astrophotography.”

“Hmm. Maybe we’ll have to get you some stuff for that?”

“Oh, that stuff can get really expensive… It’s a good thought though.”

Chloe snorted. “Okay, so clearly if interstellar travel is invented anytime soon you’re just gonna become a space photographer. Way to branch out there, Maximus.”

“Oh? And what would you become? A space punk?”

“A space pirate, obviously! Picture it now: Captain Bluebeard, Space Pirate, terror of the stars!”

Max laughed, and Chloe’s heart started tap dancing again. “Oh, perfect. Guess I’m becoming part of your crew instead!”

“Yes! The Arcadia Bay pirates sail to the stars! Nothing can stop us now!”

They laughed long and hard together, awash with memories and nostalgia for the many adventures they’d used to have around Arcadia Bay together. She’d longed for those days so many times over the five years Max had been gone. They’d only been together again for a few days, and already Chloe felt like a kid again. There was nothing she wouldn’t give for this to continue forever, to keep Max by her side from now on.

The instant the thought crosses her mind, it’s a sobering moment. Was she reading too much into it? She had to be. She’d always felt that way about Max… 

That’s an even more sobering thought.

Chloe turned her head away from the sky to look at Max, and found her already looking back. Chloe could just barely make out the freckles that dusted her cheeks, like her own little field of stars. Her eyes glisten in the dark, soft and deep. Gazing into them now, Chloe found more beauty than in all the stars the night could offer.

Her throat turned dry. Her heart tried to beat its way out of her chest. She became very much aware of Max’s soft grip on her hand. God, what was wrong with her? It was just Max…

But that was exactly it. It was  _ Max. _ Sweet, kind, beautiful Max. Her partner in crime and in time. 

“Max…” she whispers.

“Chloe…”

“If… we did have a way to just leave this all behind, to go wander the universe and get lost in the stars… would you come with me?”

“Of course I would,” Max said firmly. “I already promised you I’m not leaving you again. I’ll follow you anywhere, even if it means flying into the unknown. Even if it means conquering every star in the universe.”

“Max, I…” Chloe swallowed hard. Before she had a chance to reconsider her next words, she said in a voice so soft she wasn’t sure Max could hear it, “I don’t need all the stars in the universe if I have you.”

Max’s eyes widened. Chloe bit her lip and waited for a response. That was as powerful of a confession as she could imagine for this moment. Only Max could make her say something so  _ sappy.  _ But how would Max take it? God, the seconds of silence were some of the longest and most agonizing of her life.

“Chloe…” Max started in a trembling voice. Chloe thought she could make out a smile on her lips. “As much as I’d love to see all the beauty that’s out there… The universe already gave me you. Everything else pales in comparison.”

And now Chloe’s heart had stopped entirely.

For a long moment they lay there staring at each other through misty eyes. Max squeezed Chloe’s hand tightly. Then, determined not to be upstaged again, Chloe leaned in and kissed her.

It was awkward at first. They bumped teeth, they bumped noses, and they were laying at an awkward angle. After a couple seconds of trying, Chloe pulled back to apologize, mortified that she’d ruined such a special moment. Her heart sang when Max laughed, a joyous sound that brought the widest of smiles to Chloe. 

“We need a bit of practice,” Max said.

“Only a bit? I think we need a lot,” Chloe whispered.

Max let go of Chloe’s hand to roll onto her side and pull Chloe close. “Then I guess we’d better get started, huh?”

When they kissed this time, it was softly and slowly. Chloe’s hands came to rest on Max’s back, pulling her as close as she could be. Max’s found their way into Chloe’s hair, running fingers through blue locks. When they eventually had to separate for breath, Chloe found her hands moving of their own volition to cup Max’s face, her voice saying the words without needing to think them through. 

“Max, I love you. I think I always have.”

Max’s breath caught. Chloe saw tears shimmering in her eyes, down her cheeks. Was it way too soon to say something like that? Maybe. But everything is crystal clear to her now, and she knows that she’s never said anything truer. 

“Chloe,” Max choked on a soft sob. “Chloe. I-I love you too. For years… That’s why I could never… God, I was so stupid, I’m so sorry, I’ll never leave you like that again, I’ll—”

“Shut up and kiss me, Caulfield,” Chloe growled with a smile.

Max obliged, and this time it’s deeper, more urgent. Chloe matched her intensity, trying to convey what she can never hope to properly put into words. 

She’d had other kisses, notably the ones with Rachel. Despite Max’s obvious inexperience, no other could compare with her passion, with the connection they shared. Their bond went beyond simple attraction or lust. It was the bond of two people who’d grown together, learned together, hurt together, and were beyond overjoyed to be together again. They would never take each other for granted again, for they knew what life without the other was like, and it wasn’t worth any amount of stars in the sky.

Eventually they had to split apart, but they continued to hold each other, to stare into each other’s eyes and smile. Chloe’s heart ached looking at Max. God damn it, wasn’t that supposed to stop now that they’d both confessed? How was it possible to be so close to someone and still feel nowhere close enough?

A streak of light flashed across the sky, drawing their eyes away. Max gasped and shook Chloe with excitement. “A shooting star! Quick, make a wish!”

Chloe chuckled. “You know shooting stars are just space debris burning up in the atmosphere right? There’s nothing wish granting about—”

“Jeez, and you call me a fun hater,” Max scolded. “You’re going to make a wish, and make it a good one!”

Chloe rolled her eyes, but turned her gaze heavenwards anyway.  _ A wish, huh? Hmm, alright… I wish… I wish that this lasts. Whatever it takes, I wish that Max and I stay together, for real this time. I wish that we grow old and happy together, that the Arcadia Bay pirates will be sailing together even when we’re senile and walker-bound. I wish… that I can become the best possible person for Max, my partner in crime, my best friend… My love. Think you can manage all that, universe? _

The universe gave no response. Oh well, fuck the universe. She could make all that happen herself just fine.

“Done,” Chloe said, looking back at Max. “What’d you wish for?”

“I can’t tell you, dummy, otherwise it won’t come true.”

“That’s a stupid rule… How many kisses do I have to give you before you’ll tell me?”

“I don’t know,” Max said in a teasing tone. “Couldn’t hurt to start trying, right?”

_ Now she’s teasing ME? Good lord, what have I done? _

“Careful what you wish for, Caulfield. You might bite off more than you can chew.”

“Won’t know that until we try either.”

They both laughed and kissed again, very softly, very sweetly. She hadn’t even dared to dream that tonight would go so well. Perhaps there was some magic to the stars after all.

“Hey, so, uh,” Chloe started, somehow nervous again even after all that, “does this mean we’re like… official now? Cause I’d really love to call you my girlfriend, if that’s okay with you—”

“It is  _ very  _ okay with me,  _ girlfriend, _ ” Max giggled.

Chloe beamed, a bigger smile than any she’d worn since before her dad’s death. “Awesome! So, should I book us a flight now to the DP69 system?”

Max smacked her on the shoulder, scoffing in that adorably flustered way of hers. “Gah! I can’t believe you. Maybe I need to rethink all this…”

Chloe chuckled and placed her forehead against Max’s. “Oh come on, Maxi-pad. You know you love it.”

“I have no idea where you got that impression…” Max’s expression softened at Chloe’s smile. “But I do love  _ you  _ regardless.”

“I love you too, Max,” Chloe said quietly, cursing the words’ inability to properly convey how she feels.

She opted to try again with another kiss. Max was all too receptive to her message, and responded with one of her own, a soft and slow movement that says so much with so little. Chloe could get very used to this way of communicating.

They take their time, deepening it over the course of many minutes, melting into each other slowly. Chloe, usually one to charge right in and damn the consequences, was savoring every second of it, her trademark impatience nowhere to be found. Every moment with Max was one to be relished. The entire goddamn universe could demand her to hurry it up already, and she’d just flip it the bird and carry on. 

There was no need to rush when she had a taste of heaven on her lips.


End file.
